Ok folks, apologies first. I know there are threads specifically addressing B&M problems but I thought I'd post here with a new post in the hope that someone can advise me on specifically what I need to do here as I'm always nervous about doing stuff to ECUs.
Well, No1 son's 2012 Punto with 1.4 8 valve VVT engine has been experiencing parasitic drain from it's battery for some time now, several months in fact. The battery was brand new about a year ago and was tested just a couple of weeks ago with a "proper" Battery condition analyser which gave it a clean bill of health. If used daily - 20 minute journey to work and back - it's fine but if left for a couple of days or more the battery discharges too much to start the car. A couple of hours on a smart charger and it's fine again. He doesn't use the bluetooth but the mileage indicator is flashing. I'm pretty certain that it's the B&M unit that's stuffed. We were waiting until it had been MOTd before deciding what to do and it passed it's MOT today without even an advisory!
Because he doesn't use the Bluetooth and isn't bothered by the flashing milometer I'm wondering if we can simply pull the plug on the B&M module and just leave it dangling? The car is only his "get to work car" He has a much newer Kia Rio for family transport so the Punto doesn't have to be "perfect" If this course of action is acceptable can anyone advise, step by step, how to go about it? I think the module is in the dashboard above the glovebox? but how do I access it and what plug do I pull? and, having done that, will the car be "happy" to run indefinitely with the plug pulled? I'd like to sort this out as the battery is bound to be suffering from being constantly in a poor state of charge.
Well, No1 son's 2012 Punto with 1.4 8 valve VVT engine has been experiencing parasitic drain from it's battery for some time now, several months in fact. The battery was brand new about a year ago and was tested just a couple of weeks ago with a "proper" Battery condition analyser which gave it a clean bill of health. If used daily - 20 minute journey to work and back - it's fine but if left for a couple of days or more the battery discharges too much to start the car. A couple of hours on a smart charger and it's fine again. He doesn't use the bluetooth but the mileage indicator is flashing. I'm pretty certain that it's the B&M unit that's stuffed. We were waiting until it had been MOTd before deciding what to do and it passed it's MOT today without even an advisory!
Because he doesn't use the Bluetooth and isn't bothered by the flashing milometer I'm wondering if we can simply pull the plug on the B&M module and just leave it dangling? The car is only his "get to work car" He has a much newer Kia Rio for family transport so the Punto doesn't have to be "perfect" If this course of action is acceptable can anyone advise, step by step, how to go about it? I think the module is in the dashboard above the glovebox? but how do I access it and what plug do I pull? and, having done that, will the car be "happy" to run indefinitely with the plug pulled? I'd like to sort this out as the battery is bound to be suffering from being constantly in a poor state of charge.
